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Hacking Your Health
Hacking Your Health Podcast with Ben Canning and Dave Kennedy - Two guys setting out to hack body, mind, business and beyond. We are here to provide a single source, bullshit free guide to understanding your body and how you can live better, for longer.
Hacking Your Health
Digital Interactions 012: Tom's Journey to Confidence and Wellness
Amidst the tranquil surroundings of a holiday poolside, Tom experienced a life-altering moment that led him to embark on a transformative journey with the We Hack Health community. From battling anxiety and a lack of motivation, Tom's story highlights the power of stepping into discomfort and welcoming change. Tune in as we explore how personalized coaching by mindset expert Kiara and a supportive network helped him find newfound confidence and mental well-being, illustrating the profound impact one decisive moment can have on a person’s life.
Ever wondered how improving physical fitness can ripple into every facet of your life? Our chat with Tom reveals how shaking up workout routines to fit travel schedules and receiving genuine compliments from friends can boost self-esteem. We explore the symbiotic relationship between physical health and mental resilience, showing how tackling fitness goals can ignite confidence and a zest for life that extends beyond mere physical appearance, impacting both professional achievements and personal interactions.
In the pursuit of wellness, there's more to the journey than meets the eye. Together, we discuss practical strategies for navigating life's tough weeks through simple habits like daily movement, daylight exposure, and journaling. Delve into the philosophy behind WeHackOff, a supportive community fostering growth without judgment. Whether it’s the unexpected benefits of a dedicated fitness routine or the importance of showing up with energy and grit, this episode uncovers how perseverance and commitment can lead to extraordinary achievements and an enriched quality of life.
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Yo, welcome to Digital Interactions on the Hacking your Health podcast with your host, ben Canning. Yo, what's up everybody. Welcome back to another episode of Digital Interactions. Today we're joined by Tom. Thanks for joining us, tom. One of my favorite things about the calls that I have with you is you always just so fucking delighted with the progress you made and the just the, the level of enthusiasm of how happy you are of seeing the progress that you are as we go, so I'm excited to share that. But take us back. We're about 54 weeks in, I think, so take us back to 55, 56 weeks ago. What was that like for you? How are you feeling? Where was your head up?
Speaker 2:gosh, uh, firstly, thanks for having me on. It's great to be here, of course, um, yeah, gosh. So I, I think I just just approached like a landmark birthday for myself and, uh, I was, I was 21st and naturally, yeah, yeah, I mean, I had a very hard paper round. I looked like this at 21, right, um, but no, so I, I wasn't really, I wasn't really happy, uh, with lots of things, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it, right, um. And I found myself, uh, you know, I didn't have any energy, like it was very negative about a lot of things, like there was a distinct lack of positivity and, in huge chunks of my life, um, I really wanted to do stuff but never quite found the motivation to, you know, to get off my butt and do it, uh. And then, uh, my, my amazing wife, she took me on, she took me on holiday to celebrate this, uh, this birthday, and I was, uh, I was sitting by the pool actually with a beer and I remember, looking on my phone, I was like seeing all the progress from the we hack health family, like people that were going through it, and I was like, oh man, this looks awesome, this looks awesome. You know, I'll just think about that. No, no, no, no, don't just think about it, right, because you're gonna be just pushing it to tomorrow. So, like you know, bring it back up again, have another drink of the beer, think about it a bit more, and I'm like, no, do you know what damn it, I'm just gonna do it. So, boom, that's when I filled in the.
Speaker 2:I filled in that uh, you know that initial inquiry form there to have that, is it the scoping chat? I can't remember what you call it, the scoping call with yourself. And it felt good, right, it felt really good to take that first step. I was really anxious. I was you know, this is something new. Like I don't know what to expect. It's like everybody's in the gym is going to know what they're doing and I don't know what I'm doing, and they're all going to be like bench pressing cars and stuff. It's like, oh no, it got inside my head. It was a nightmare, but it was uh, you know, from that, from that first call with you, like it, it was just something that I knew.
Speaker 2:I was like I have to do this, I have to do this, I've got to change something, um, and I mean to quote you on something recent, I think it was, uh, one of your other calls you've done there with one of the other. We hack health, uh, members, it's you know nothing changes if nothing changes right. So, uh, you know something had to change. What can I change? Well, let me bang in this form, let me speak to ben and let's see where we go from there. So that's, that's how it started yeah, good, well, I'm glad.
Speaker 1:I'm glad. I don't know whether it was the beer that made you finally do it, or whatever feeling good about life and hit the big fuck it button exactly, yeah, the uh nothing changes.
Speaker 1:Nothing changes things is a funny one because, um god, it must have been about. I guess I started coaching almost about eight years ago and initially, whenever we had to have our like bios and you need a quote on it and I was like fucking hell, all right, um, and everybody had this big long paragraph or, like you know, they fucking grew up a boxer or you know insert, sort of like I used to be a piss head, so I don't really know what I'm gonna say, and it just gave me nothing changes, nothing changes and it has stuck by me ever since and I do quote it and use it quite a lot. Um, so I guess what changed?
Speaker 2:uh, what changed for me? Like when you mean, when I like submitted the form or or just, everything between between then and now gosh, so much has changed, right.
Speaker 2:So, um, so when I submitted the form like to have that scoping call with you, gosh, I was filled with a lot of anxiety like that changed straight away when I had to have the first call with you. You talked me through the program, you talked through the aims and objectives. Um, you know very clear about the emphasis being on me and my development and what I wanted to get out of it, and you were there to support. But you're not going to do it for me. Completely accept that. Um, like my, my mental health has improved. Like I've got more confidence in myself. I'm far less anxious when I do have, you know, stressful moments in life, because it's life, right, it happens. There are coping techniques that I picked up from the you know, not only yourself and the and the other folks on the discord channel, but also from the, um kiara, from her, you know, the mindset coach that the expert call that we have, uh, you know, on thursdays. So, from a mental health perspective, I feel like I'm in such a better space than I was, you know, a year ago, which is absolutely fantastic. Physically, I don't think I've ever been in better shape like it's. It's astonishing. Um, I am either saying to you just before we came on the call, actually, like it's a, it's a beautiful day in the uk at the moment and I went for a run earlier. It's like you know, a year ago I'd be like, no, I'm not going outside, it's too hot. Now I'm like bring it on, like you know. So I'm gonna go for a run up a hill like, let's say, throw on some weight in the back as well. Uh, you know, it's so physically I you know I can. I've got I'm so much stronger physically, like I've got much better cardio. I can run for miles now without stopping. I can bike for miles without stopping, without feeling like I need to stop.
Speaker 2:I always, strangely for me, one of the things you and I first spoke about was I have very weak knees, which is really bizarre. But walking upstairs can sometimes be very painful for me and that's you know, over the years it's just got less and less and less. Every time I go to the office, I'm walking up and down various staircases. It's like that for me is just a constant reminder of the progress I'm making over this, over this journey. It's just astonishing, like, whereas previously, get to the top of these staircases and be like, oh god, and be like, you know, an 80 year old man. It's like get my seat, get my, you know my pipe and slippers. Yeah, my knees hurt, oh, geez. No, I'm just like, oh, I could do that twice. You know, I might just go down to the ground floor again and run up just for the sake of it.
Speaker 1:Like, yeah, I think, I think the biggest thing is, like any, anytime we chat like, it's almost like you have discovered something else that you can do that you didn't know that you could do, do you know? I mean? It's like you're unlocking new things all over the time and that's such a good way of saying it.
Speaker 2:I mean, I like mentally, like mentally, I have a. It's a very strange sort of way I sort of view things. It's, you know, when something goes well, and or you know it's a positive outcome for me, or whatever it may be, it never occurs to me that actually, you know, there were always two options on the table, like it could have gone well or it could have gone badly. And just, you know, this time it went well and I instantly bank it, I move on to the next one. But if something goes badly, it's like damn, I fixate on that absolutely. You know why did it go?
Speaker 2:And so for quite a while I would get it, I would spin myself out in these um, in these situations. So I just wouldn't try, right, I'd be like, oh, I don't want to, I don't want to, you know, put myself in that situation. So I just wouldn't, wouldn't bother. And now, now I'm just like, oh my god, there's a new machine to use in the gym, this is fantastic. There's a new exercise, this is amazing. It's like can I do that? So I'm gonna give it a go. Like I'm gonna give it a go. It's like damn, I can't do that. That's amazing yeah, yeah and it is.
Speaker 2:It's like unlocking something new that I didn't realize I had. I had the capacity to do, uh, and you know it's astonishing. It's such a good feeling to have, um, and I wish I discovered it a bit earlier in life, if I'm honest. But hey, you know, it's better. Better later than never, right?
Speaker 1:true, true, better that you're getting it in night. So talk to me then. Like beyond the, the physical stuff, like beyond you know could be able to go for a run and bike and you know whatever else, like pain-free in terms of the stairs and steps and stuff like that, what else has it given you? Like, what else has it unlocked um in terms of like relationships, work, situation, like how you think what day to day?
Speaker 2:so I'm far more positive in life, that's for sure, like a, you know very much a glass half full kind of approach to life. Now, um, you know the idiot in the car in front isn't driving slowly because he's an idiot, it's because he's got a birthday cake in the boot. You know it's. It's that whole sort of changing thing. You know, try and put yourself in other people's shoes, try and do something good. And you know the universal hey, it's a little bit hippie-ish, I know, but it's something that I'm really buying into um, in terms of like relationships, I think my, you know, my wife has certainly seen this changing me physically and I think even mentally as well.
Speaker 2:Like I'm happier, I've got far more energy, like I've got, you know, far more confidence to. You know to nip out and do something. Or you know to throw together something last minute before, if it was a, I don't know today, for example, if it was a barbecue on it's just, you know it's far at the barbecue. No, no, no, you know I haven't had like six weeks to prepare for it. Like you know, I've got to, I've got to think about it. Now I'm just like wait, crack out the charcoals, let's go, let's fire it up. It's just, it's almost a zest for life, right. Like it's uh, you know, something comes at you, you deal with it, you adapt, you overcome, you move on to the next one and it's uh, it's just this whole new approach that I just find more positive, like I don't know, I don't know how else to explain it really like it's like life is just a little bit brighter for me.
Speaker 1:It's fantastic like just a different perspective. You've seen the other side of the curtain and you're like, oh shit, what's all this?
Speaker 2:look at all these fun lights and all this positivity and now your ass looks really green. It's like let's go have a look yeah, yeah, yeah, fair, fair.
Speaker 1:Um, you recently well, maybe not so recently, but earlier on the year um, you went on a pretty big vacation and I remember specifically beforehand, we had a call just before, just before you went, I think. Um, one of the best things was like you were like how am I going to get my trainer? What, what am I going to get? How am I going? To get that in like obviously that has. No, I assume that has never been a thought in your mind before on any sort of vacation or holiday absolutely not.
Speaker 2:No, never, never, never, ever, ever. Uh, sorry, but this time around it worked out well. I mean, you, you would obviously, first and foremost, you adapted my plan to uh, to use some some different kit that I could essentially pick up at the local sports shop and, you know, travel with. But I also had to get the workout. Sorry from a from a gym perspective. So, you know, enlisted the hope, sorry.
Speaker 2:I enlisted the help of some local knowledge and managed to find the local gym to get to as well. So that was pretty sweet, but for me, that was one of the highlights of my life to date, like you know, being on that holiday because I just I felt so good mentally and I felt so good physically, it's like, and I hadn't seen a lot of people, I was there for like 12 months or so and so like strutting around the pool like a peacock, you know, and it's like my t-shirt was off and it's like, wow, you look amazing. It's like, yeah, I feel amazing, like. So, thank you, that's really nice to hear yeah, yeah, I think that that's.
Speaker 1:That's a funny narrative in terms of like. Obviously you see the progress yourself and whatever, but you know those times when you see people who haven't seen you since before you started, like that, having that sort of like reminder, because I mean, the reality of it is, you know, day to day it can be tough to get in the sort of mental side to go and be able to do it like you know the sort of almost mundane repetitiveness of going to the gym and managing your food and whatever else, like it can get a bit much sometimes, but almost like that reminder of like oh fuck, right, yeah, I've almost forgotten how much progress I've made and this person has reminded me because uh, that was.
Speaker 2:You're absolutely right. I mean that that was really nice. Like there's some people that literally saw before and after. It's like almost comparing like I have to do it when I compare those photos we've got in the google drive right like week one and week 54, whatever. It's like damn, that's amazing. And these people get to see it in real life and you know they were all saying like you, you look healthier, you look happier, like you. I mean, I stepped off the plane and one of them was like damn, like you, you've lost a lot of weight, like you can see it straight away. Like you're holding yourself a little bit taller, walking with a bit more confidence. Like it's fantastic, you know, fantastic to hear and it's completely unprompted, right, it's just people that just are giving me a compliment because I haven't seen them in a while. So, yeah, it's nice and it's great to hear yeah, it's for sure it's a good reminder.
Speaker 1:Um, you mentioned confidence quite a lot and we've talked about this again. You know, like there's a lot of times you said you know confidence to deal with work situations and even confidence in yourself to be able to navigate that. That I'll say holiday, because we're not american and usually I would have to say vacation, but, um, you know confidence to manage yourself on the holiday, to know what you can and can't do, to be okay with you know having a drink, to be okay with you know whatever the you know you talked about a lot of good food and stuff like that.
Speaker 2:So give me a bit of an insight the, the changing confidence in yourself so I, um, I've always had quite a link, or I say I've always had. I think I'm starting to recognize that I've always had quite a link between, like, my mental, my mental health slash confidence, and my physical, uh, physique, I guess almost like my you, almost my physical well-being. I've noticed that if my body is starting to take shape, is getting fitter, is lifting heavier weights, is running further, that sort of thing, it sort of plays itself back because I find myself just sitting a little bit taller in the meetings or not being afraid to just put my hand up and just sit there until someone asks Rather than before it would have been like oh, is that you know? Is that a daft question? I think that might be a daft question. Like, maybe I won't ask it now. I'm just like no, I'm an idiot, I'll ask it. It's like I need to, I need to answer this question. Like you know, hang on, a feel good in myself, like it's. You know, I'm not just yeah, I don't just take a seat like in the corner anymore.
Speaker 2:Quite frequently I find myself sitting quite, quite centrally to a lot going on, which I never would have done either. Like that's just no, I want to be in the thick of it. I want to know what's going on, I want to know how I can assist in this, how can I participate, like, why am I here? What can I bring to the party? And if I don't understand it, well, damn, I'm asking that question like you know, um, but yeah, roll it back.
Speaker 2:And it would have been, no, I'd have been in the corner just, maybe maybe take a few notes, maybe follow up with an email afterwards, maybe send a message like oh, do you mean that? Whatever, I don't know, it's it's. It's amazing to see that change. As you know, over the over the last year or so and actually I mean fairly recently, I um, I was actually I won an award at work for um for some pretty amazing work that I was doing with others as well, like it was a proper team effort, but I was nominated and I was very lucky to a very fortunate to actually win. So that would never have happened if I'd not been on this journey, I think with the, you know, the wehack health family so not technically what you signed up for.
Speaker 1:Well, I guess what, what you signed up for versus what you got, quite different absolutely, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the added benefit, right, is something you don't I didn't see coming at all.
Speaker 2:I thought this would just be like pounding the treadmill or something for 12 months, maybe occasionally lifting a weight, and it's like actually, no, it's, it's had such a um, such a far-reaching, like impact, I think, in so many different areas of my life that I just just would never have realized could come from and I say this deliberately, sort of a little bit prickly, but just come from working out at a gym like I don't, you know, that's not a minor undertaking, it's, you know, it's built. I mean, some of the routines you, you set me on at the very beginning were, you know, reasonably straightforward. Uh, you know, quite rightly, because you had to build up, you know, build up my technique, build up my, you know my, my physique, build up my, my ability to, you know, to read instructions and follow them, and you know, if it's exactly as you said, I think in our last catch-up, like if the first thing you asked me to do is deadlift 500 pounds, I'd have probably done one, rip my back out and then be like, no, you don't see it, but you know, never coming back, but you just come on that journey right, and you sit there and I reflect and it's like damn, this is, this is just astonishing and I think, if I can do this in like 12 months, where can I? Where's the next 12 months going to take me? You know, it's really quite exciting, isn't it?
Speaker 1:you know, just to see where it goes yeah, this, this is exactly the favorite thing about what I do, like it's. It's giving you, like I guess, unlimited potential in terms of what you can do. And obviously, the last time we caught up was just coming up to the year mark and it was a case of like you know, what do you want to do now? Because you know we spent the year as you said. We gradually built into it. You know, you learned the sort of basics and every time we caught up you're like I want a bit more, I want to debate a bit more challenging, and I give you that, and then the same again, and almost like regret in asking every single time. But then you executed, you executed on it and then it was like you know, what can I do? Like what is next, you know? I mean like the possible, at least in terms of that, then become endless yeah, and it's just fantastic.
Speaker 2:I like it. It's such a fantastic feeling. I mean I must admit the current. I mean I love the current uh training block you've got me on. I do love it. But when I was on like rep 97 or something the other day I have these dumbbell laterals I was like, oh, good grief. What was I thinking when I was like more, come on, ben, more yeah it's like everything was sore.
Speaker 2:It still is a bit tender today, like oh damn, but. But then I come out the other side, like you know, the end of the week I'm loving it, uh, and I was. I was following some, uh, some of the um threads on the discord channel earlier today and people were talking about how starting their day with a workout just helps really bench line and just settle the positivity and their mental health for the day ahead, and how much better they feel if they crack out that workout and then they have a day in the office or a day with the family or whatever. But that discipline to start in the morning and do it all the way through, and it's like you know what. I completely agree with that. Like it's just, it's amazing, like I just I would never have thought it would have such an impact, uh, but it it has and it's, you know, one of the best things I've ever done, I think so I'm glad to hear, I'm glad to hear it.
Speaker 1:Talk to me then, and maybe you've answered this, but I guess we can get a little bit more of a concise answer. Um, what is the most unexpected thing you've gained in the past year?
Speaker 2:confidence. Good nice. You asked for concise right, I guess yeah, and that's absolutely fair.
Speaker 1:Let's let me then go back. Maybe this is a slightly different perspective on the question. What did you expect, like going into it? What did you expect that you would get? I say you know you were in for a year like what did you expect to happen in that year?
Speaker 2:um, so, so I don't know. To be to be quite honest, I mean I didn't really give it any thought. Uh, I'd like to say deliberately didn't give any thought, but I just I didn't. I really didn't know what to to expect at all. Um, I think, I think I realized that like something had to change in my life, like I wasn't you know many times it would feel like I was just existing rather than living. It was like something's got to change to to break this, and so I knew something would change. I just didn't know what it would be like. Um, so I suppose, I mean, the simple answer is I don't know.
Speaker 2:But I guess if I was, if I was really pushed on it, I would say probably, you know, maybe I'd be a wee bit fitter, like maybe I'd be able to I don't, probably, you know, maybe I'd be a wee bit fitter, like maybe I'd be able to I don't know, like you know, run a 5k, for example. Maybe I'd be able to, like lift some, you know, I don't know a 20 kilo dumbbell or something, whatever it may be, but it's just, it'd be something quite, quite, um, it's quite simple, like there'd be no nuance to it, there'd be no, like nothing that goes around it. Oh yeah, I could lift a weight, I can run a mile, whatever, like cracking, you know, until the next one. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, um, so yeah, I didn't, I didn't really know, I didn't, I didn't set myself any expectations either, uh, which may have been a good thing. I guess, like, if you, you know, I've been very I mean well, sorry, I know I'm doing a lot of talking, but it feels this journey has been.
Speaker 2:Quite one of the things I really loved about this journey over the last 12 months is just to see where it has taken me, like I, over the last, you know, year, I, I think, I think my objective, multiple times to you has just been like, get fitter, you know, get get fitter, get stronger, like I deliberately haven't said, I want to, you know, run the london marathon.
Speaker 2:Or, you know, I don't want to do tour de france or whatever it may be. I think I now I'm at the point where I need to start thinking a bit more objectively, like coming up with something to feedback into you, you know, for these, for the training blocks, to say this is, you know, this is the objective I want to hit in the next whatever six months, 12 months. But to start with I was like nope, just I almost want to see where the where the path leads. Like let's just keep talking with you, like have the open communication right, keep bouncing off each other, and then see where it goes, like see where the universe takes me. Uh, and so far it's worked out pretty well, but so far so good so far, so good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, I think that's a case of you know, you didn't. You don't know what you don't know. Do you know what I mean? Like you know, at this you're at the stage where and I'm not trying to put words in your mouth so you can tell me to fuck off and I'll not be offended um, you know, you're at the stage, you knew something needed to change. You made the change, but now you're at the stage of like, okay, I back myself on my ability to do these difficult things, like how far can I really push it? So, if it is, you know a specific goal. I mean, you mentioned it on the marathon there. I don't know if that's something you're into, but we can definitely work towards that if that's something that you want to do. But it's just a case of now you almost know what's possible. Do you know what I mean? You have the start of the build of the evidence of your ability to do the stuff. So it's just a case of we just need to refine the stuff to something that's a much bigger goal.
Speaker 2:I 100% agree with that. Good, absolutely, oh, 100% agree with that yeah, good, absolutely.
Speaker 1:How do you deal with the bad weeks? Because in a recent check-in, you didn't have the best week. So what's your, what's your tools and tactics that you have to manage those weeks where they're not optimal or not your best?
Speaker 2:that's a great question, so, uh, so I try and keep it reasonably simple, like for me. I try and take it right back to basics. Right, have I done my steps for the day? Have I had my daylight? Have I taken my vitamins? Like, have I, you know, have I journaled? Have I written in my diary? The answer is no to any of those. Right, I'll start there, and then I find it often it tends to build from there. You know, right, I've done this, I've done this.
Speaker 2:Hey, you know, actually, today's a rest day, whatever, today's a gym day, well, gym's a priority. Boom, I'm going to find the time. So I'm going to take, you know, move this meeting, shift this around, work later, whatever, but I'm going to find that you know hour, hour and a half to get down the gym and I I feel better for accomplishing things. Like it's just before I go to bed. It's like, oh no, do you know what I did crack out whatever. 6 000 steps today, 10 000 steps today did hit my vitamins. Like I did go for a walk at lunchtime. I did sit in the sun with a cup of tea for 15 minutes, like whatever, whatever it might be, it's just yeah, actually, do you know what. There were a few bumps for sure, like it's life right. But actually, look at all this other stuff that I have done over 24 hours. That feels pretty good.
Speaker 2:Not just sat in a, he says, while sitting in a tiny room, do you know? I mean not just sat in a room, yeah, like in front of a computer screen moaning about it, or like, you know, playing a game. It's like, no, actually I got out there and did something and got something tangible to show for it. Yeah, so, yeah again. Sorry, I'm using a lot of words to go and I could keep this quite straightforward.
Speaker 2:I try and take it back to basics, like what is that? You know what, right in week one, when I was, uh, you know, I look at the check-in sheet in week one, it's like low energy, like low motivation, low that. You know what were we doing right? We were doing steps, we were getting you know, daylight, we were writing things down. You know, okay, let's, let's roll it back. And then I often find it snowballs from there. So that's that's how I try and do it, like it's something I know I can achieve and I know I can use the momentum going forward yeah, I think it's just a case of you know we can use the momentum going forward.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it's just because of you know we can get to and, especially because we've come so far, we can get so caught up in the things that we haven't done that we forget how much we actually do do and it's just having the again perspective to turn around and go fuck, do you know what?
Speaker 1:Okay, maybe it wasn't ideal, but I did get quite want anybody listening to think. You know, my expectations are that it's fucking plain sailing the whole time like I'm there through the shit times as well, probably. It's probably more beneficial for me to be there through the shit times than it is through the good times, because we can celebrate the fucking wins all day long. But when the shit hits the fan like it's whenever it's sort of it really counts to make the change, because that's whenever you can start to fucking snowball the other direction. But as long as you have something that you can sort of anchor yourself on, that you can sort of recognize what you are doing, versus being frustrated and the stuff that you potentially couldn't do, it's important no, 100, that's exactly it.
Speaker 2:You know, 18 months ago would have been right just going. You know, I don't know. Buy a, buy some junk food. Buy a, get a. You know, take away pizza, buy a massive bar of chocolate, whatever. Just sit in the same room I've been sat in for the last nine hours, eat it and go to bed, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:That's it wake up and do it all again tomorrow exactly.
Speaker 2:Just rinse and repeat like right, god, this is terrible. Uh, now it's all right, let's, let's take it back, let's get outside, let's get some sunshine, or you know.
Speaker 1:I mean, it's the uk, right, so sunshine, but let's go and look at what shade of gray the clouds are today yeah, exactly, is there is the rain, hot or cold?
Speaker 2:what season is it, you know? Yeah, yeah, just to get that fresh air, just to get that break. I found there's actually I'm quite lucky there's a loop, uh, around my house. I can walk it at a pretty consistent pace in my lunch break, gets a good, good amount of steps in, but I can also walk it, uh, almost an autopilot. So then my mind I found my mind just completely switches off, like so my body will just it knows where it's going, right, but my mind is all, it's just processing all these other bits behind the scenes. And usually when I get back to the house I'm like okay, so that problem, this is what I'm going to do, this is what I'm going to speak to, so I'm going to fire this off, I'm going to do this. So that was another unexpected benefit. I should say I've discovered this, this weird auto autopilot sort of subconscious processing that goes on.
Speaker 1:So it's another win, another win I think that that's an important one as well because, again, you know, the majority of people listen, myself included like we spend our entire days at a computer and if there's a problem to solve, we think sitting looking at the problem is the solution. But in actual fact, if you just fucking take some time away from it, those thoughts that matt and I always say our shower thoughts, like when we're in the shower I'm like, oh fuck, that's the fucking solution to that problem, like, yeah, so like whenever you actually step away from the problem, it's important because you have time to just like be away from it, like instead of, exactly like you said, being sat in the same fucking room all day long, absolutely, which we all do. Um right, quick fire round. I don't know if you got this or not, because you might have been just in just after this was adopted, but we'll run through it anyway. So, avocados or no?
Speaker 2:Avocados for sure.
Speaker 1:Or a fryer.
Speaker 2:I haven't got one, no.
Speaker 1:Ooh, I am. Do you know what I am actually? This is maybe a me problem. I'm so surprised at the amount of these podcasts that I've recorded and the people telling me that they haven't got an air fryer. I was like I've just assumed everybody's fucking I'm pissed about the air fryer in the chat and people are like no, I don't have one.
Speaker 1:Um, oats, cooked or uncooked uncooked, nice, good, and you haven't even had the, the luxury we will call it of me making them for you. I think that's usually people's, people's uh. Transition is whenever I'm like, look, let me just make them for you, and then they go do you know what? And then they go away from the camps to the events and like, yeah, I'm now converted to, to uncooked oats, so you've managed that by yourself. And it's still I love it that rob has posted out in the chat many times. It's like it's the ultimate troll, that it's the only recipe available in the medium. It's like, yes, it's there for you, but it's the only fucking one. Um, what is the most absurd health and fitness related advice you've ever received or heard of?
Speaker 2:uh, lift as heavy a weight as you can until you can't lift it anymore, and that's how you gain muscle and do it repeatedly as many times as you can in one setting nice, sure way to fuck yourself up for sure, exactly that was a spine like a question mark, right?
Speaker 1:and if you could only do one exercise for the rest of your life, what would you pick? Trap, bar trap or deadlift trap or deadlift. Sorry, yeah, absolutely that's a good one because it gives you the whole body experience, like it's probably the most useful one that you could do.
Speaker 2:If that was the only thing that you could do, yeah, good one's lucky, wasn't it, and that would like one really massive shoulder and nothing yeah um, would you prefer to do 100 push-ups, 100 squats or 100 burpees, 100 squats?
Speaker 1:Interesting, Okay, this one gets me all the time. When people ask me I'm like I still haven't fucking worked it out. But if you were describing WeHackOff to someone, what do you say?
Speaker 2:Not a cult.
Speaker 1:Cult adjacent.
Speaker 2:No, I'd say it's what I have described to a few, a few people actually. So I tell them it's a really supportive environment, um, where you can work towards your own goals at your own pace, like there's no judgment, there's just there's really friendly people that are, you know, can put a an arm around you if you need the help. Uh, and I mean certainly from my perspective when we've been doing check-ins, I have to say I think you found the perfect balance for me, where you've occasionally put your arm around me to say, hey, we can do this, don't worry, but you can also apply a virtual boot up the ass when I'm like I'm clearly slacking a wee bit. So for me it's. You know, that's exactly right. It's a great environment to grow personally and professionally to a certain extent okay good, good, pretty good.
Speaker 1:Um, I genuinely, when people ask me, I'm like, really, I guess it changes probably day to day based on what I'm dealing with. So maybe I'm not the right, maybe I'm not the right person to ask um, what one piece of advice would you give? No, okay, let's go with. What one thing do you know now that you wish you had known before?
Speaker 2:what one thing that I know now that I wish I'd known before. Yeah, uh, you can do it in every aspect in every aspect. But you can do it, I agree, every aspect, in every aspect. True, you can do it, I agree. Put your mind to it and try right.
Speaker 1:Yeah for sure. Now let's go with. If you were to offer somebody a piece of advice, if somebody was where you were 55, 56 weeks ago and they needed one thing to help them, what piece of advice would you give them?
Speaker 2:gosh is this? Uh, you know I'm just I'm gonna answer the question sort your nutrition out. I surprisingly so much. I got so much benefit from sorting my own nutrition out and eating whole foods and things like that and cutting out a load of other stuff. Uh, so I'd say, yeah, start, start with your nutrition, see how you feel, you get better sleep, probably more energy, and you can build on that yeah, true, very good.
Speaker 1:Um, what's next for tom? What are we doing? I don't have this. I don't have this written down, so at this point we're free ball. So what's next?
Speaker 2:uh, anyway, in terms of uh the we hack health side of things I don't know what other context you're going to give me.
Speaker 1:I'm very much a person. If you give me two options, I'll say both, so well, for we hack health.
Speaker 2:Um, I've got to carry on through this training block, right, I've got a. I'm only on, I don't know, like week three, something like that, I think. So I've still got like another nine weeks to go before we catch up again. I do need to. I do need to come up with an objective to feel into our next review, though that is something I do need to work on a lot. Um, in terms of what's next for me, well, I've got quite a few certifications going on in the background. You can probably see there's a couple of them on the wall behind me, but I've got a few more to go, so I need to need to get myself my time management up to scratch and get those nailed.
Speaker 1:I want to get them done this calendar year, so let's focus on that so you can get that done, you can get your workouts done and you can get your actual day job done as well. So it can be done. Is that what you're telling?
Speaker 2:me it can be done 100, absolutely. You know I do a lot of like extracurricular learning and things like that, so just get up a wee bit earlier. Like hit the gym, come back, make my, my uncooked oats. Come up to the desk, crack out like an hour, an hour and a half of revision. Move on to the day job. Like go for a run in the afternoon done like easy evening to do whatever I want, right easy right, any final words from you to anybody's listening, anything that you think they would benefit from it can be really intimidating to take that first step, like it's the hardest step to do, to fill in that form and uh, you know, and have a have a call.
Speaker 2:But I would strongly recommend anyone that's even thinking about it just do it like you've got nothing to lose, like nothing to lose at all from firing in that form, having a chat with the you know the coach, uh ben, having having a conversation with him, working up it's right for you, um, working out it's right for ben and uh, and taking it from there. Like you know, it costs nothing. It's simply filling in a form. Go for it. Got nothing to lose I'm not that bad.
Speaker 1:When I come on the call I feel like I manage those calls pretty well. I know it can be intimidating so I try and manage everybody that comes in pretty well no, it was superb like it was.
Speaker 2:I was um, I was very anxious about it. I really I didn't know what to expect and you thought I was going to get shouted at by like a swartz and agri type.
Speaker 1:You know, it's like you look like a noodle, like you know, but it wasn't like that at all.
Speaker 2:No, it was very cool, it was very civilized, right. It's exactly what you'd expect from a professional. Uh, you understood what I was trying to, you know, trying to get out of it, and you and you worked with it. And here we are a year later. Uh, you know, I mean, actually, we only signed up for a year to start with, right, but I was so impressed with the journey I've been on and where it's going, I've carried on. So it says it all, in my opinion.
Speaker 1:For sure, for sure. Well, thanks again, obviously, for joining me, thanks for being flexible in the time and swapping things out for me, but thanks for going all in on it. I think that when someone asks me, I often get asked what do I see a common successful trait and come in plants that have the most success, and it is that just willingness to fucking do the work. And you have definitely been that person. Like you come at me, your check-ins are done on time, you have questions, never stupid questions. You've done the work.
Speaker 1:If you haven't done the work, you've reflected on why you haven't done it. Like there's, there's no bullshit, and you just fucking show up and get it done and, as I said at the start, like I always look forward their calls because I know you're going to come with a specific energy and just excite excitement than what you've been able to achieve in the past. You know 12 weeks or however many weeks it's been, and just you know the the excitement as to what's to come next in the next block. So thanks for that, thanks for just being a part of this and thanks for joining me today that's been great.
Speaker 2:Thanks very much indeed. No worries at all.